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So, Market Deeping is having a Healthcheck! A town looking at itself with a view to improving the way it serves its people. What a wonderful idea, and I hope that in spite of some of the little difficulties in publicising the start of the process it manages to achieve something for the good of everyone in the local area.
As individuals we can follow the town's example and have our own "healthcheck", to look at ourselves and see whether perhaps we can serve God better - or even each other! Would we have the courage to ask others their views? Some may, others perhaps not: we're all different. But in Lent, which begins on 25th February, Christians traditionally begin a process something very much like that. We need to look at our lives and see where they fall short of the ideal God has created in us, then we need to repent of those faults and ask God both to forgive - which he promises to do when we repent - and to give us guidance and strength to live nearer to perfection in the future.
This all ties in very well with the church's annual meeting which will take place this year on 19th April, soon after Easter. At that meeting there will be opportunities for taking up various kinds of ministry within the local church, and those of us who have spent some time during Lent in prayer and penitence will be well-placed to know what we should be offering to do, and what we should be handing on to others.
Thus our Lenten observance, like the town's healthcheck, will also help us to see how we can better serve our neighbours, as we strive better to do God's will and follow his call.
oremus bible browser to prepare your readingThe Choir Kneelers are now ready to be worked on. If you are interested in making a kneeler or would like more details, please contact Kim Hallam (348178) or Liz Spratley (342401). You can either work the canvas, make–up the completed canvas into a kneeler or both.
Also if anyone would like to make a donation to help towards the cost of the kneelers please see either Liz or Kim.)
We wish to thank all those who have given money through collecting in 'L' shaped and round pots during the past year. The total amount collected was £293.83
Sybil and Bernard Babb
A Poem by George Herbert, a featured Priest and Poet who is recognised in this month's Church Calendar on 27th February. In this poem he is referring to the stained glass church windows.
LORD, how can man preach thy eternall word ? He is a brittle crazie glasse : Yet in thy temple thou dost him afford This glorious and transcendent place, To be a window, through thy grace. But when thou dost anneal in glasse thy storie, Making thy life to shine within The holy Preachers, then the light and glorie More rev'rend grows, and more doth win ; Which else shows watrish, bleak, and thin. Doctrine and life, colours and light, in one When they combine and mingle, bring A strong regard and aw : but speech alone Doth vanish like a flaring thing, And in the eare, not conscience ring.
Autumn 2003 was a very busy term for our younger church members and our dedicated team of Leaders, Assistants and Helpers.
The Flower Festival was looked forward to with great enthusiasm and the Children thoroughly enjoyed working on their group projects which are still displayed in the Children's Corner. 'Mary, Mary' and 'Lavender's Blue' were the two Nursery Rhymes which they chose to illustrate in a collage and which fitted well into the overall theme of the Festival - 'With Music in Mind'.
The annual Sunday School Christmas Party saw the Church Hall transformed into the coolest place in town, complete with flashing lights, smoke, bubble and even snow machines! Santa made his customary appearance, bravely answering some very searching questions from some of the guests, even though amnesia took over when he was asked to name his reindeer! Thanks are due to everyone who was involved in arranging and supervising the party, and especially to those members of the congregation who kindly contributed the delicious food which was on offer. Our children were invited to bring a friend and it was a lovely sight to see them all having such a wonderful time.
The (now annual!) Nativity Play took part in the Church Hall on the Sunday before Christmas, following the 10 o'clock service. The children had put a lot of effort into rehearsing their singing, actions and instrumental playing and Director Ian calmly brought it all together for a delightful performance of 'The Star who Couldn't Twinkle'. Stars can only shine if they look at God's beaming smile, but one is too shy to do so and her light fades - until Jesus is born. Thus even our smallest children were able to understand that Jesus was born to bring us closer to God. Many thanks to Ian for the time and efort he devoted to this production, and also to Johanna and her team for the delicious seasonal refreshments.
Explorers (7 - 110, Climbers (5 - 7) and SCramblers (under 5) meet every Sunday morning at 9.50am in the Church Hall. They join older worshippers in Church for their blessing, final hymn and refreshments. New members are always welcome. Please contact Andrea (Climbers and Scramblers) on 344926 or Alison (Explorers) on 345890 for more details.
It was with sadness that we heard of the death of Bob Leatherbarrow. The bells were rung half muffled in his memory on Monday 5 January. He was always so cheerful and full of fun with a word for all he met. We shall miss him, as we are sure many others will, from all walks of life. Our thoughts are with his family at this time. Bob wrote a poem dedicated to the bell ringers which we have included in this "News From The Tower".
We hope that Mark (the Vicar) had a memorable day on the 22 January when he reached his half century. Happy Birthday for the 22nd Mark from all the bell ringers.
The bells of St James - the old Priory church
How wonderful hearing those resonant sounds
How many years have those musical peals
Raced across meadows, rivers, and mounds.
Sometimes as I walk on the banks of the Welland
As I hear the bell team ringing the changes
There's a feeling of joy - a peace in my heart
As over the river that mellow sound ranges.
For the message they send is a message of hope
Long may their chimes resound over the earth
Since time, long ago, in old Bethlehem
Did the first Christmas bells toll the first Christian Birth.
Hail to the Bell Captain, his ladies, his men
Forever and aye may their great bells ring
Pray each one hearing those echoing notes
Will appreciate fully the pleasure they bring.
So, sound out the treble, on to the bold tenor
Continue to pour from that old greystone tower
Your glorious sounds of gladness and faith
Reliving the promise of a Saviours great power.
Then perhaps who knows when my race is run
My place recorded on an old page of names
From my resting place where ever it be,
My wish to still hear the bells of St James.
In appreciation to Bell Captain J. Haw
and his team. And ringers past,
present, and future.
Bob Leatherbarrow - August 1993.
Thank you to everyone who supported our Christmas bookstall and to those volunteers who helped to man it. Special thanks to Ann and Cled, who returned unsold items to the Stamford Christian Bookshop.
Following this success, a range of books and other items with Lent in mind will be on sale after the 10 o'clock service on 8th and 15th February 2004.
Please let me know if you have any special requests.
Bet
A selection of this year's books is below. Any of these cand be ordered through the bookstall in church on the 8th and 15th February.
'I Thirst'- by Stephen Cottrell - £8.99 - Zondervan The Archbishop's Lent Book for 2004 Focussing on the cross as the great triumph of love.
'Jesus and the Earth' - by James Jones - £6.99 - SPCK Looks at what Jesus himself thought about and its creation in four parts. This is for anyone committed to the environment. A final section suggests practical actions.
'Dwelling in a Strange Land' - by John Holdsworth - £7.99 - Canterbury Press Explores the place of exile as the true spiritual home of God's people. Explores how, freed from anxiety and open to change, the Chruch could be a more authentic sign of the Kingdom.
'Jesus Opening our Hearts' - by Paula Clifford - £4.99 - Hodder and Staughton The Christian Aid Lent Book. What it means to love our neighbour in todays world where the global village is very much a reality.
'Thorn, Fire and Lily' - by Jane Mossendew - £10.99 - Continuum Richly illustrated, this book relates the Church's year to nature's cycle providing a meditation for each day from Ash Wednesday to Easter.
This year's Lent Study should prove to be a challenging one as it is based on the 'hard sayings' of Jesus. The weekly sessions will be introduced (via CD!) by the Archbishop of York and will also feature four key speakers: Bishop Tom Wright, Professor Frances Young, Father Gerald Hughes and Steve Chalk.
The first session will take place on 27th Ferbruary at 10am at the Vicarage; see March Priory News for further dates.
Course booklets are available price £1.95; if you would like one, please let Mark or Sonia know as they need to be ordered from York.
Single malt or blended??
Over the last few year Margaret Flegg has contributed a lot of recipes to this magazine, all of them very attractive. Whether you have carefully filed them or not, it is possible to find Margaret's recipes using the archived Internet edition of Priory News and searching for a recipe name or an ingredient. If you look at the left-hand side of this page you will see the Priory News Archive with a simple search engine: type in what you're looking for and click "Go". You will be presented with a list of the issues that mention that word, with the context in which it is mentioned. For example, searching for "beef" yields recipes in April 2001 and 2002 as well as two articles on farming and on food in Malaysia!
This is only an extract from some of our magazine. Residents of Deeping St James can subscribe to the printed version.
Copyright © 2004 Deeping St James PCC